Cardinal's Alecx Blandino viciously swings but misses during the NCAA regional game versus Pepperdine on Saturday. Stanford topped Pepperdine 5-4. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the ... more

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Stanford's Brian Ragira gets a piece of the ball on Saturday during the NCAA regional versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Stanford's Brian Ragira gets a piece of the ball on Saturday during the NCAA regional versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Brett Mooneyham returns to the dugout after being replaced on the mound on Saturday during the NCAA regional versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game. less

Brett Mooneyham returns to the dugout after being replaced on the mound on Saturday during the NCAA regional versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional ... more

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Brett Mooneyham returns to the dugout after being replaced on the mound on Saturday. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Brett Mooneyham returns to the dugout after being replaced on the mound on Saturday. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Stanford's Brian Ragira steps onto second base during the NCAA regional game versus Pepperdine on Saturday. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Stanford's Brian Ragira steps onto second base during the NCAA regional game versus Pepperdine on Saturday. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Tyler Gaffney swings on Saturday during the NCAA regional game versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Tyler Gaffney swings on Saturday during the NCAA regional game versus Pepperdine. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Pepperdine's Bryan Langlois dives for home plate but is denied by Stanford's catcher Eric Smith. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Pepperdine's Bryan Langlois dives for home plate but is denied by Stanford's catcher Eric Smith. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Pepperdine's Bryan Langlois dives for home plate but is denied by Stanford's catcher Eric Smith. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Pepperdine's Bryan Langlois dives for home plate but is denied by Stanford's catcher Eric Smith. Stanford met Pepperdine at Sunken Diamond on Saturday for the 2nd NCAA Regional game.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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Stanford comes back to beat Pepperdine, 5-4

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Down by four runs and facing a strong pitcher, Stanford needed a big play Saturday night. It was a bizarre play as well, on which three runs scored following a wild pitch.

Kenny Diekroeger's double inside the third-base bag scored Tyler Gaffney from first base with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and relief pitcher A.J. Vanegas turned the lights out on Pepperdine. As a result, the Cardinal won their second game of the Palo Alto Regional 5-4 at Sunken Diamond.

Stanford (40-16) is in the driver's seat as it plays Sunday at 6 p.m. against the winner of the 1 p.m. game between Fresno State (31-27) and Pepperdine (34-22). If the Cardinal win, they'll advance to the super regional next weekend. If they lose, the could still win the regional in a 6 p.m. Monday rematch.

Diekroeger said he gave a joyous scream at second base after his hit. "I got a pitch inside and turned on it," he said.

Stanford, designated as the visiting team, trailed 4-0 after the Waves batted around in the third. The Cardinal got one run back in the fourth on a home run by Brian Ragira over the 400-foot sign in center field.

A Little League play gave them three runs in the sixth. With the bases loaded, Pepperdine's Scott Frazier unloaded a wild pitch. Ragira scored, and Alex Blandino followed him across the plate as the ball slipped out of catcher Miles Silverstein's hand. When the ball rolled out of play - into the crowd of Stanford players standing in front of the third-base dugout - a third runner, Eric Smith, was allowed to score.

Vanegas (4-0), a sophomore, struck out a career-high eight batters in 3 2/3 innings in picking up the win.

"You've just gotta attack the zone," he said. "Keep working down in the zone - I kept telling myself that after every pitch."

The Waves chased Stanford starter Brett Mooneyham in the third inning. Los Altos native Sam Meyer drove in a run with a single, and another scored on a groundout. A walk loaded the bases, and freshman Bryan Langlois greeted reliever Dean McArdle with a two-run double off the left field wall.

Fresno State eliminated Michigan State (37-23) in the afternoon game 8-3. The Bulldogs collected 15 hits, and only a triple play by the Spartans in the eighth interrupted their late-inning flow of runs.

First baseman Trent Garrison led the onslaught with a double and two singles for three RBIs. His twin, Taylor, earned his 11th save with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.

In the eighth, with runners on first and second running on the pitch, Bulldogs designated hitter Kenneth Wise hit a drive to right center that would have scored two more runs. But freshman center fielder Anthony Cheky made a diving catch, and both runners were easily retired for a triple play.

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